


The Model in Him

by Taliax



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hot Mess Adrien Agreste, Humor, Idiots in Love, Ladrien | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Romance, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:35:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27485884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taliax/pseuds/Taliax
Summary: Adrien needs to stop using the "I need to take a shower" excuse on reflex.  Particularly when he's trying to hide his superhero girlfriend from Nathalie.Or: the one where Adrien and Ladybug are squished in a bathtub.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 35
Kudos: 229





	The Model in Him

**Author's Note:**

> I swear this isn't nsfw I just love putting ladrien in stupid bathroom situations lol
> 
> In case you don't remember (or were confused by my other ladrien bathroom fic where I ignored this), Adrien has both a shower and a bathtub that are separate. Source: Party Crasher
> 
> Also for the record I picture them aged up here, probably 17. It's not super relevant but the characterization feels more that way

“You know, I pictured my first time sharing a bathtub with my boyfriend a little differently,” Ladybug mumbled under her breath. Adrien probably wouldn’t have heard her over the running shower if they weren’t squished like sardines in his dry bathtub.

But he did hear her. And she could probably hear his pounding heart.

“But you’ve pictured it,” he choked out. It was supposed to be a suave joke, but any chance of being suave had been shot dead two minutes ago, when he’d frantically dragged Ladybug into the bathroom with him.

Her eyes widened to saucers. He could practically read “ERROR 404” scrolling across her retinas.

“Uh—no! I said… uh…” She bit her lip. Her face was close enough that _he_ could’ve bit her lip. Only the threat of Nathalie hearing them stopped him.

“We’re dating, Miss Bug,” he said through a grin. He had to be creative with his nicknames since he’d used up so many good ones as Chat Noir. “You can think about me in the bath all you want.”

Ladybug groaned, covering her face with her hands. “Shut uuuup.”

He still couldn’t help laughing. She was just so _cute_ when she was embarrassed. “I’m just sorry the reality isn’t living up to your expectations.”

She punched him in the chest. Considering there were barely centimeters of room between them—if that—it didn’t have much force behind it.

“Sorry, I’ll stop.” He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. (He was safer from punches that way.) “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“No, Adrien—I’m not upset. Even if it’s a little embarrassing… this is perfect.”

He could practically feel her heat up in his arms. She snuggled deeper into him; her hair tickled his neck, and he suppressed a shiver.

“You don’t have to lie, bug.” He chuckled. “I’ll plan a more romantic escape route next time Nathalie almost walks in on us. I know an empty bathtub isn’t prime real estate.”

He should’ve known his _“I need to take a shower”_ excuses would catch up to him eventually. He was just lucky that Ladybug hadn’t retroactively called him out on the one he’d made when Simon Says had been after his father.

“I’m not lying.” She wiggled out a hand that had been sandwiched between them, then rested it gently against his cheek. “I don’t mind hiding. And as ridiculous as this is, it just feels like _us,_ you know? I mean—I never would’ve been so nervous about asking you out if I knew you were like this.” 

“You? Nervous?” He knew she could get anxious on occasion when they fought more difficult akumas, but he couldn’t imagine her being nervous around _him._ She had to have seen how enamoured he was with her from the beginning. Heck, he still felt like soaring when she just said _us._

“Even superheroes can get nerves, hot stuff.” He felt her smirk through the cotton of his t-shirt, down to his blood.

“I’ll never get tired of you calling me that,” he mumbled breathlessly.

She giggled. “That’s what I’m talking about. You’re so… _real._ Not that I thought you weren’t before, or anything! I just… it’s been so wonderful to get to know you better. To hear you laugh. To see the dumb way you wiggle your eyebrows. To find out your sense of humor is just as bad as Chat Noir’s.”

He did the eyebrow wiggle. She might think it was dumb, but it still always made her face heat to a lovely shade of red.

“Doesn’t stop you from laughing.” He grinned.

The first time she’d laughed at his jokes—well, the jokes he told as Adrien—he’d thought he would melt into the floor. That had been when he was Aspik, and even though all 25,913 attempts to defeat Desperada had failed, he’d somehow come out with one success: Ladybug had come by to check on him that evening.

And that evening turned into another. And another. And quiet evenings turned to video games on his couch, races up his rock wall, and even—to his surprise and eternal delight—kisses. Kisses that spun his head and left him wondering if she was a dream.

But she wasn’t. Even his craziest dreams couldn’t come up with _this._

“I get what you mean, though,” he said more seriously. “I never thought I’d get to know you like this. I _hoped._ But I don’t think I could even imagine it. I mean, you’re always so aloof to everyone else, and I know you have to be, but… I’m just thrilled I get to be with you. Even if it means hiding you from Nathalie and my Father.”

A smile tweaked her lips. “Even if it means squishing into your bathtub with me?”

 _“Especially_ if it means squishing into my bathtub with you.”

She laughed at that. It echoed in the marble basin, probably a little louder than was safe. Hopefully the running shower masked the sound on the off chance Nathalie had decided to wait outside the room for him. It wasn’t like she _needed_ to make sure he was in bed.

“...You know we should probably get out sometime tonight,” she said softly. Still, she remained encircled in his arms.

His hands roamed down the dip of her spine, nearly brushing the yo-yo wrapped around her waist.

“Probably,” he admitted. 

Her arms escaped his embrace, only for her fingers to twist in the hair at the nape of his neck.

“...I guess it wouldn’t hurt to stay a little longer. You _are_ known for taking long showers.”

“Play it safe.” He bridged the sliver of space between them to rest his forehead against hers. “Very responsible of you, my knight.”

“Of course, my prince.” 

Bold words for someone who’s next highly irresponsible move was too kiss him senseless. But hey, he wasn’t complaining.

If Nathalie thought he took an extra-long shower that evening, well, he could say that it was the model in him.


End file.
